Rafael Benitez believes his players will learn from their experience of their title scrap with Manchester United while reiterating Liverpool have no intention of throwing in the towel on this season’s challenge.
The Anfield outfit kept up the pressure on their bitter North West rivals with a nervy 3-1 win at Hull City on Saturday.
United remain three points clear with a game in hand after their controversial 5-2 triumph over Tottenham Hotspur later in the evening.
For the first time since 1991, Liverpool remain in the hunt for the championship going into May.
And Benitez reckons the lessons learned from this season’s title tilt will hold his squad in good stead for future Premier League campaigns.
“The team, the squad, has shown that it’s better and this is a fantastic experience for the next years because we are in a position now that we were not before, for me that is the positive thing,” said the Liverpool manager.
“Always you can talk about trophies but in England there are so many strong sides, it’s not easy. At least you have to be there, you have to be contending – then you see what happens.
“We have four games now to finish the season and we’re still in the title race so I think it’s very positive.
“Normally when you play this level you know that at the end of the season you will play for trophies and can lose but if you analyse the whole season I think the team’s done very well, especially without Gerrard and Torres for a lot of games.
“I have confidence that we can fight until the end. After that, it’s very good experience because we have been in a position we were not before, not for a long time.”
United need to drop at least six points in their five remaining games for Liverpool to have any chance of lifting the championship for the first time in 19 years and prevent the Old Trafford outfit drawing level with their record 18 titles.
And Benitez added: “I have confidence United will drop points. So we need to keep going, keep doing our job, put them under pressure and then we will see.”
A goal from Xabi Alonso put Liverpool ahead on the stroke of half-time at the KC Stadium on Saturday, before Hull striker Caleb Folan was sent off on 58 minutes after kicking out at Martin Skrtel.
Dirk Kuyt doubled the visitors’ advantage shortly afterwards and although Geovanni pulled one back for Hull, another Kuyt strike in the closing moments sealed the win.
Of the game, Benitez said: “We were talking with the players about these kinds of games that could be the difference. This year we’ve won against the top sides, so these kind of games, which we’ve been drawing, have to be the difference in the future.
“We assessed the game and I thought we could control it, but it was difficult because they were pushing. We were making mistakes, and we need to improve.”
Hull’s defeat means they remain deep in the relegation mire having won just two of their last 25 league games.
But Benitez added: “I think Hull can be safe. It’ll be difficult for all the teams near the bottom because they’ll play now with more nerves, more anxiety, but I think it will be a good battle – if you’re not in it. But Hull have the potential to stay up.”
Benitez also revealed that Steven Gerrard, who has missed Liverpool’s last three games with an adductor problem, trained over the weekend and should be available for the visit of Newcastle United on Sunday.
The Anfield outfit kept up the pressure on their bitter North West rivals with a nervy 3-1 win at Hull City on Saturday.
United remain three points clear with a game in hand after their controversial 5-2 triumph over Tottenham Hotspur later in the evening.
For the first time since 1991, Liverpool remain in the hunt for the championship going into May.
And Benitez reckons the lessons learned from this season’s title tilt will hold his squad in good stead for future Premier League campaigns.
“The team, the squad, has shown that it’s better and this is a fantastic experience for the next years because we are in a position now that we were not before, for me that is the positive thing,” said the Liverpool manager.
“Always you can talk about trophies but in England there are so many strong sides, it’s not easy. At least you have to be there, you have to be contending – then you see what happens.
“We have four games now to finish the season and we’re still in the title race so I think it’s very positive.
“Normally when you play this level you know that at the end of the season you will play for trophies and can lose but if you analyse the whole season I think the team’s done very well, especially without Gerrard and Torres for a lot of games.
“I have confidence that we can fight until the end. After that, it’s very good experience because we have been in a position we were not before, not for a long time.”
United need to drop at least six points in their five remaining games for Liverpool to have any chance of lifting the championship for the first time in 19 years and prevent the Old Trafford outfit drawing level with their record 18 titles.
And Benitez added: “I have confidence United will drop points. So we need to keep going, keep doing our job, put them under pressure and then we will see.”
A goal from Xabi Alonso put Liverpool ahead on the stroke of half-time at the KC Stadium on Saturday, before Hull striker Caleb Folan was sent off on 58 minutes after kicking out at Martin Skrtel.
Dirk Kuyt doubled the visitors’ advantage shortly afterwards and although Geovanni pulled one back for Hull, another Kuyt strike in the closing moments sealed the win.
Of the game, Benitez said: “We were talking with the players about these kinds of games that could be the difference. This year we’ve won against the top sides, so these kind of games, which we’ve been drawing, have to be the difference in the future.
“We assessed the game and I thought we could control it, but it was difficult because they were pushing. We were making mistakes, and we need to improve.”
Hull’s defeat means they remain deep in the relegation mire having won just two of their last 25 league games.
But Benitez added: “I think Hull can be safe. It’ll be difficult for all the teams near the bottom because they’ll play now with more nerves, more anxiety, but I think it will be a good battle – if you’re not in it. But Hull have the potential to stay up.”
Benitez also revealed that Steven Gerrard, who has missed Liverpool’s last three games with an adductor problem, trained over the weekend and should be available for the visit of Newcastle United on Sunday.
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